Egg case filler



May 10, 1932. 3 w, sw JR 1,857,984

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May 10, 1932. G. w. SWIFT, JR 3 1 EGG CASE FILLER Filed 001;. 2?. 1950 L 2 Sheets-Shee 2 I Z v avwe'ntoz 650/864 11 J/ /FTJE, W/T/VEJS M @MMMQW Patented May 10, 19 32 UNITED STATES PATENT, OFFICE GEORGE W. SWIFT, JR., OF BORDENTOWN, NEW JERSEY, ASSIGNOR TO GEORGE W. SWIFT, JR., IN (3., OF BORDEN TOWN, NEW JERSEY, A CORPORATION OF NEW JERSEY EGG case FILLER Application filed October 27, 1930. Serial 110,491,447.

This invention relates to egg case fillers in v which a plurality of egg-holding pockets are integrally formed in a single sheet of material. The primary object of my invention is to provide an improved construction foradj acently-disposed walls of different groups of pockets forming together suitable columns or supports for a filler flat which constitutes a cover for the pockets of a lower egg case' filler and a support for another egg case filler arranged thereabove. One of the objects of my invention is to improve the form of the pocket-forming walls of an egg case filler of this nature by virtue of which the pockets may be made of sufficient depth to completely house the eggs while at the same time facilitating the removal of eggs therefrom one at a time. More specifically stated, my invention contemplates an integrally-constructed egg case filler comprising top fiatwall portions or insular platforms spaced from each other in a common plane and intermediately arranged egg-receiving pockets depending therefrom, adjacent pockets of said filler being provided with intercommunieating grooves or recesses extending down- Wardly from the common plane of said insular platforms for permitting access to eggs contained in said pockets, the walls of said pockets being provided with alternately-arranged inset and outset portions, said inset portions converging downwardly from said insular platforms and forming therewith supporting columns for a super-imposed filler fiat or cushion-flat which in effect forms a closure for all of said pockets, said outset portions extending from the bottoms of said pockets to said grooves or recesses. Another object of my invention is to provide an improved cushion -or bumper construction around the perimetral edges of the egg case filler.

Other and more particular objects of my invention will appear in the specification, the

structural features appertaining thereto being recited in the appended claims.

In the drawings which illustrate my invention in a preferred embodiment,

Figure 1 is a top plan view of a portion of one of my improved egg case fillers;

Figure 2 is a-fragmentary vertical section of a plurality of my improved egg case fillers nested one within the other;

Figure 3 is a vertical longitudinal section of one end of an egg case packed with my improved egg case fillers.

Referring more particularly to the drawings, my improved egg case filler may be constructed of any suitable material such, for example, as paper pulp and by any preferred method of treatment whereby a structure of the character described below can be formed.

The present application relates to the finished product which is integrally formed and comprises a plurality of insular platforms 1 which are separated from each other in all directions and amultiple series of egg-recommon plane of and are arranged intermediately with respect to said insular platforms. By an inspection of the drawings, it will be seen that each of the egg-receiving pockets 2 is provided with recesses 3 in its lateral wall. on four sides, said recesses extending downwardly from said common plane of the insular platforms. The recesses 3 on two sides of each of the corner pockets; on three sides of each of the side edge pockets not at the corners: and on all four sides of each of the remaining pockets are connected by transverse downwardly-arched troughforming walls 4 which provide intercommunicating channels between said pockets below the common plane of said insular plat-. forms of the tiller Said corner pockets on two sides of each and said side pockets on one side of each are provided with recesses 5 with closed walls 6, the lateral walls of recesses5 and the end walls 6 forming a series of cushions or bumpers of trough-like .ceiving pockets 2 which depend below the cross-section around the side edges of the filler. As shown best in Figures 1 and 3 of the drawings, the lateral wall of each eggreceiving pocket 2 comprises relatively inset portions 7 which are contracted downwardly from the insular platforms 1 and relatively outset portions 8 which are contracted downwardly from the downwardly-arched troughforming walls 4:. Said inset and outset portions of the pocket walls are united along their lateral edges to form closed rounded walls which are preferably provided with flattened surfaces 9 at the bottom to secure a firm seating of the fillers upon flat boards 10 which are interposed betweensuccessive fillers in packing an egg case. By an inspection of Figure 1, it will now be understood. according to the present embodiment of my invention. that each of the insular platforms 1 surmounts four of the inset portions 7 of four different pockets to form in etfecta supporting column for the fiat board 10 or fillertlat which rests thereon and constitutes a cover for all of the egg-containing pockets. As may be understood from Figure 3. each pocket is enlarged upwardly and is integrally formed throughout its full depth so that an egg placed on end in said pocket is positively confined in a separate chamber as soon as the flat board 10 or filler-flat is placed over its opening at the top of the pocket. Moreover. the egg is cushioned by the inset portions 7 of the pocket and is exposed to free ventilation through the trough-like passages formed by the downwardly-arched walls to provide intercommunieation between the pockets. the relatively outset portions 8 of the pockets permitting access of air to the bottom of the pocket.

In packing eggs with my improved filler. I preferably employ an egg case comprising end walls 11 (only one being shown in Figure 3) connected by laterally-spaced strips 12 at top and bottom which provide longitudinal slots and thus freely admit the'outside air to theegg case. case cushionflats of any suitable construction may be interposed between the top and bottom walls of the egg case and the top and bottom layers of eggs therein. Preferably. however. I employ ventilated cushion-flats of the character shown. described and claimed in my copending application. Serial No. 35.891. which was filed in the U. S. Patent Office under date of March 18. 1929. Thus. each of said top and bottom cushion-flats comprises a flat board or web 13 and a corrugated board or web 14 attached thereto. the corrugations in said corrugated web being of suliicient size to give the desired cushioning etlect for the entire burden of the egg case. In this connection. it will be understood that the bottom pocket-forming tiller rests squarely upon the inwardly-presented fiat board 13 of the bot-,

tom cushion-flat and by means of the columnar supports, provide a substantially rigid foundation forthe next higher filler through the interposed board or fiat 10. At the top, the top cushion-fiat serves as a closure for the uppermost filler. \Vhen desired,v the ventilating effects in the egg case may be further increased by providing suitable holes or openings in the Hat and corrugated webs of the cushion-flats as well as in the fillerflats 10 as shown and described in my above identified application.

I claim:

1. A filler tray for egg cases provided with pockets open at the top insular platforms disposed in a common plane above the top surfaces of eggs placed in said pockets, each of said insular platforms being centrally arranged with respect to the top openings of a group of said pockets, said pockets comprising substantially ovate lower half portions disposed below the common axial plane of said eggs and upwardly-flared upper half portions extending above said common axial plane 'of the eggs to the common plane of said insular platforms, downwardly-arched walls respectively depending from and between the edges of adjacent insular platforms to a common plane adjacent said common axial plane of the eggs. said downwardly-arched walls with their upwardly-divergent limbs intersecting the upper half portions of adjacent poekets to form upwardly-widened channels disposed above the common axial planes of eggs reposing in said pockets.

2. A filler tray for egg cases provided with full length pockets arranged lengthwise on vertical axes and open at the top, insular platforms arranged in a common plane above the top surfaces of eggs placed on end in said pockets, each of said insular platforms being connected to the upper edges of a group of pockets, the lateral wall of each of said pockets comprising laterally-spaced relatively inset portions extending the full depth of said pocket and relatively outset bottom portions intervening between the lower portions of said full-depth portions, and downwardlyarehed walls extending downwardly from and between the spaced edges of adjacent insular platforms. said downwardly-arched walls being joined to the side edges of said relatively inset portions and to the upper edges of said relatively outset bottom portions for providing channels extending between the upper portions of adjacent pockets.

3. An egg case filler comprising a plurality in g webs for yieldably supporting the bottom ends of the pockets of an upper filler tray between groups of said insular platforms.

4. In an egg case, the combination with an outer case, of a plurality of filler trays constructed according to claim 1 and disposed one above another within said outer case, the pockets of one filler tray being coaxially arranged with respect to the pockets of other filler trays disposed above and below said filler tray, filler flats interposed between the successive tiers of said filler trays for closing the open upper ends of a lower filler tray and suspending an upper filler tray at points centrally disposed with respect to groups of insular platforms of said lower filler tray, and cushion flats respectively interposed between the top and bottom walls of said outer case and the uppermost and lowermost filler trays, said cushion flats comprising flat Webs presented inwardly against the insular platforms of the uppermost filler tray and bottom ends of the pockets of the lowermost filler tray and corrugated webs interposed between said flat webs and the top and bottom walls off said outer case.

GEORGE W. SWIFT, JR. 

